LeHavre (2011)

Directed by: Aki Kaurismaki | 103 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: André Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Blondin Miguel, Elina Salo, Evelyne Didi, Quoc Dung Nguyen, Laïka, François Monnié, Roberto Piazza, Pierre Étaix, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Myriam ‘Mimie’ Piazza

Marcel (André Wilms) is a former artist from Paris who is now ‘active’ as a shoe shiner in the coastal town of Le Havre. He lives there with his wife Arletty (Kati Outinen) and their dog Laika. His former dreams of a writing career are gone. He likes his quiet life in the triangle of frequent cafe visits, eating with his wife and the daily walk with his dog, even though his income is small. Then a young African refugee, who escaped arrest by the police, crosses his path. That will radically change his life…

Marcel is poor but stands up in a struggle against human indifference. Without any hesitation, he decides to help the young refugee and later hides it in his house. When his wife Arletty unexpectedly turns out to be seriously ill, she has to go to hospital for a few weeks. Marcel’s worries increase, his life is suddenly turned upside down.

The police are constantly lurking in the port city and are informed by an angry neighbor who plays the snitch. Then a humorous cat-and-mouse game kicks in, in which the neighbors, who at first didn’t like each other at all, now help each other against the authorities and the police, represented by an omnipresent sleuth, Inspector Monet (Jean-Pierre Darrousin). . This one plays a fine role, mangled between a sense of duty and human involvement.

Director Kaurismäki has constructed a fine mixture of contemporary subjects such as homelessness, refugee problems and profiteers who profit from these problems. This is supported by newsreel footage of real refugee camps and their evictions in contemporary France. The behavior of politicians (in front and behind the scenes) and the actions of government officials who say ‘only to carry out the law’ have also been incorporated into the events in a humorous – but at the same time viciously confrontational – way.

The film has a soothing and sublime camerawork. The shades are attractive and warm. ‘Le Havre’ is a magnificent, modest, slightly absurd comedy with the sometimes characteristic dark sides of a semi-realistic fairy tale. The emphasis is less on exuberant hilarious jokes that make you fall from your chair roaring. The film does have a lot of subtly dosed tongue in cheek humor, both in word and gesture. The dialogues are dryly comical with sharpness and sometimes have a venomous undertone when social developments are criticized. The visual language is sublime, visual jokes require few words. An absurd gem.